Can I Buy an Hour of Your Time?

Whirlwind continues... I don't have the energy to update. But I did want to do a quick post of this little truth we all need to be reminded of at one point or another. Thanks for passing it along Jonathon!

One of Kidd's favorite on-air stories . . . "Daddy Daddy"
"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" With a timid voice and idolizing eyes, the little boy greeted his father as he returned from work. Greatly surprised, but giving his boy a glaring look, the father said, "Look sonny, not even your mother knows that. Don't bother me now, I'm tired." "But daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour, " the boy insisted. The father, finally giving up, replied: "Twenty dollars and hour." "Okay, Daddy. Could you loan me ten dollars?" the boy asked. Showing his restlessness and positively disturbed, the father yelled:"so that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Go to sleep and don't bother me anymore." It was already dark and the father was meditating on what he said and was feeling guilty. Maybe he thought, his son wanted to buy something. Finally, trying to ease his mind, the father went to his son's room. "Are you asleep son?" asked the father. "No daddy, why?" replied the boy, partially asleep. "Here's the money you asked for earlier, " the father said. "Thanks, Daddy!" rejoiced the son, while putting his hand under his pillow and removing some money. "Now I have enough!! Now I have twenty dollars!" the boy said to his father, who was gazing at his son, confused at what his son had just said. "Daddy, could you sell me one hour of your time?"

Islamic Takeover of the U.S...

...is not all that hard to imagine for the minds behind Republic World News. The RWN Web site creates its take on the futuristic reality of America in 2036. As you can see from the map, most of the land is occupied by Islams with the American "rebels" cornered in the southeast. The whole concept of the Web site is based off a new book Prayers for the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno.

This is disturbingly alarming.

Famecast!

The story idea Audra referenced in her email was a story about Famecast.com. It's an online version of American Idol with different "stages" for different genres of music. One of the couchsurfers I'm staying with in Austin introduced it to me. He works for the site and gets to travel and organize video production of different participating bands (how fun!). I suggested Audra to do a story focusing on the "Spiritual Stage."

God Works in Mysterious and Exciting Ways...

I'm in Austin. I've just spent an incredible weekend full of incredible music at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The people who are hosting me via couchsurfing.com are incredible. The people I've met through them are incredible. All following two incredible trips to Chicago, full of more incredible people.

I still need to write about all of that. Life is moving too fast and I can't keep up! But, right now I really want to share something else.

The mysterious ways God has interwoven this particular friend of mine into my life simply excites me. It may seem small to everyone else, but it means so much to me.

I met Audra in Greece. It was my broadcast professor, Greeley Kyle, who gave me her contact info after I had expressed to him that I wanted to do work that involved more "ministry and service". At the time, Audra was working with a Baptist group in Thessaloníki. (Writing about that trip is long overdue... and unfortunately must still wait). Aside from being an incredible host in Greece and trekking all over the mainland with me, Audra also offered a lot of guidance in the whole health/breakout issue. She is the one who encouraged me to do the colon cleanse, about which I'm sure most of you have heard me rave. My mom had just starting learning about it from her friend, so the timing of Audra's insight was uncanny.

Since Greece, Audra and I have kept in touch via our emails and our blogs. She is now working for CBN's the 700 Club. Just a couple of days ago I sent out a plea for prayers... for God to simply offer me some guidance in this exciting and seemingly enchanting time in my life right now, with a lot of options going a lot of different ways. I made sure to include Audra on that list because she has always offered me much wisdom. I read her response literally minutes after I read about fasting at a local organic smoothie shop in Austin, TX:

Hey Girl!

Thank you so much for the story idea. Ideas are always appreciated :)
Looks like a fun one too!

I felt like I was in that same place a year ago. I will do some very
heartfelt praying for you. I believe in full-faith that God will
specifically show you which way to turn and then bless your path beyond
your wildest imagination.

Here is something that has always really helped me when making huge
life decisions: try fasting. Even if for a short amount of time...it
always seems to help me clear my head, heart, and get me humble before
God. It's hard to make a wrong turn after you have done those things. I
will try to get you some bible verses together tomorrow when I have
some time. Just pray and ask Him how long you should fast and then He
usually send you some kind of "word" or direction at the end of the
fasting. It has worked in a miraculous way for me, EVERY time. I
usually do a juice or liquid fast, but I have also done a "Daniel" fast
for longer periods--which is fruits and vegtables--there are lots of
options.

I am so proud of you...and FOR you. Life is such an amazing adventure
when you seek HIS will for your life. Remember, He has made you for
something SPECIFIC and He won't let you miss it. He is just as
interested in leading you to it...as you are in finding it :) It's for
HIS glory!!!! Yeah!

Once again, an uncanny timing of great advice from a invaluable friend. For me, instances like these demonstrate God working intimately in my life in a most blatant way... and it's so exciting... seeing that blatant demonstration of God in your life!

Audra also included a prayer request of her own... a sort of "double duty praying" as she put it. She says "some AMAZING 'God' things have been happening lately." She asked for prayers on Oct. 6th. I will most certainly be praying for her and I invite anyone else who is so inclined to join me. I will also be fasting with her in spirit beginning Oct. 3rd.

Interesting date. The plan is for me to cover the Le Mans race in Atlanta beginning the 3rd.

Urban Wilderness Chicago: Part 1

Time to play some more catch up. Last weekend I ventured out to Chicago on my own on a kind of spur of the moment whim. I looked up a few Chicagoans on Couchsurfing.com, secured a free place to crash and off I went!

I wound up staying with a couple of local playwrights, one of whom dabbled more in acting than in playwriting. They had me meet them at the Neo-futurarium to see a production of The Fool (Returns to His Chair). My hosts were not involved in this particular production, but the are very involved with the neo-futurists. The playhouse experiments with the interaction of an audience and its performers, and the play was curiously engaging to say the least. I'm still mulling over just how I felt about it. At one point, I even imagined that I somehow stumbled into a Laura McNamara version of the Truman Show and that I was ultimately the fool. That wasn't the case, but I did start to wonder...

After the play, I joined one of my hosts, Ira Murfin, and some of his friends for dinner at Andies, a Mediterranean restaurant. The food was excellent and I tried Basmati dill rice for the first time. I need to look up the recipe. It was a fun, zingy twist to the traditional side of rice. Good food and good conversation. I ws particularly enthralled with Ira's account of his volunteer work at a developing architectural community in Arizona called Arcosanti. Here's a brief description of the premise behind the community:

In 1970, the Cosanti Foundation began building Arcosanti, an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Its large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses will occupy only 25 acres of a 4060 acre land preserve, keeping the natural countryside in close proximity to urban dwellers.

Arcosanti is designed according to the concept of arcology (architecture + ecology), developed by Italian architect Paolo Soleri. In an arcology, the built and the living interact as organs would in a highly evolved being. This means many systems work together, with efficient circulation of people and resources, multi-use buildings, and solar orientation for lighting, heating and cooling.

Sounds fascinating to me. Ira wrote an essay which was included in a book on Paolo Soleri. His essay demonstrates how Soleri's Cosanti concept and his Arcosanti community are not just about architecture, but also about an approach to architecture that seems more or less counter-intuitive to society today. An approach where less is more and where vision is integral to realization.

Ira explained that anyone can participate. You sign up for a 4-week training workshop and then you stay on site and help develop the community. I've been pining away about going back to grad school for architecture ever since my brief stay in Rome. I think this would be an excellent way to introduce myself to the field. Participating in the Arcosanti development is now on my list of immediate priorities.

More to come on the Urban Wilderness Chicago experience...

Psychedelic Purple Rubber Thingamajig

In case you're wondering what, exactly, is depicted in my frantic excuse for a photo... it's a close-up of one of those fun pliable, rubber balls with hair-like tentacles that you can squish and bulge. Why is it so entertaining to squeeze these suckers? I'm squishing it right now and I can't stop...

This Love...

I wrote this awhile back and kept it as a draft. I forgot about it and then just found it. Not sure why I didn't just post before...

Don't you see?
I'm your child... begging thee.
If there's one thing that I could want
to be the very thing you want for me
This would be it. This would be it.

My heart says this love
reflects your love.
this love
draws your love
this love
is your love.

But it's too late
it was too late before there was even a chance.
I try to accept
those wrenching things I cannot change
but why do I feel this love
is so intricately tied
to the love you want to reveal to me?

my heart says this love
reflects your love
this love
draws your love
this love
is your love

give me sight to see the truth
give me the strength to face you
to face myself
my personal sacrifice
be it your fingers entwined with mine

can it be?
Abraham killing Isaac?
Peter eating pork?

Zonked...

My poor lil' sis came home from a weekend spent out of town with the cousins miserably sick. My brother came home wound up like a top. Half an hour later they were both passed out. A little an r&r remedied my lil' bro's hyper over-exhaustion. The nap also perked up my sis, but she's still fighting a bug. I pray she gets well soon!

A Modern Love Story...

I'm such a sap for romance, so I had to post this young man's plea for help. I'm a member of couchsurfing.com, a network of travelers who offer their couches, knowledge of local flavor and camaraderie to fellow travelers. Sometimes, more than that:

Hello, My name is Nicolas and i am from Buenos Aires,
Argentina. I am writing this because in need your help
to save love. It won´t take you long.

Me and my girlfriend are also couchsurfers for more
than two years now (we actually meet in New Zealand by
chance, and we have always lived really closes in out
city).

The problem i have is that i had to move to Netherlands
to finish my studies, and this will take me almost 2
years. It is always hard to continue a long-distance
relationship, and altough we are both trying really
hard, Jenny, my girlfriend, is having a really hard
time to do it. We miss each other very much, and that
causes her a lot of pain.

So far, she had visited me one time here, and as a
surprise i took her to Paris, the city of love, to
share together the discovery of a city we have never
been before.

Here i have the link of a video a made of this trip,
and it is also a way to give her strenght to carry on.
Its a video to say, thanks for supporting me and i love
you.

What i would like is to do is to promote this video as
much as i can, and that people leave messages for
Jenny, to support this love and give her back
strenghts to continue fighting for this. So if you
could go to my youtube link, which is below, you will
see us in Paris, and you could leave a message. If you
are feeling extra kind today, you can also forward
this messege to person who have also love someone and
now how we feel...

Please help me with this i am trying to do!

And i apologice if you consider this Spam, i was not my
intention to bother....
Also sorry for beeing so corny, but you know how is
love , right?

Thank you a lot!!!
Nicolas

A Few Little Treasures Along the Way...

God painted the sky for me during my run today. I rounded a bend that opened to a clearing from the woods and I saw a blazing, fuschia ball emitting a pink-orange glow that melted into an ever-changing, holographic blue sky as it was slowly being swallowed up by the horizon.

Which reminds me... I forgot to mention yesterday that an ivy-green humming bird popped in to say hello. I was bringing Vanilla pup into the house and she lingered behind, so I turned back and was greeted with the whirring of frantic wings and the jerky zig zags of a humming bird. The bird quickly zigged forward into the doorway, then, just as quickly she zagged back out, paused in mid-air as only humming birds can do as if to check out Vanilla, then whirred out of sight.

A "starving musician", j. elliot, dropped by my blog yesterday. Looks like he's new to blogspot. He's the one who gave me the great word: prolegomenon. I checked out his blog to discover an ambition greater than any of those I spelled out yesterday. He'll be creating a new song every week. I have to say, I'm impressed. One line in his first song really struck me: "You can't hold on to nothing if nothing don't want to be held." An obvious truth that I think sometimes we are so quick to ignore...

The Pup

Okay, J. Elliot. This post is just for you. Well, you and my puppy Vanilla... I mean, my bro and sis's puppy. Yeah that's what I meant. Prolegomenon is defined on dictionary.com as a preliminary discussion; introductory essay, as prefatory matter in a book; a prologue. Great word btw. Thanks for introducing it to me. Might I ask where you first stumbled upon that word? Or did you just open the dictionary and blindly point? ; )

I think Vanilla gives new meaning to the word turf monster... Look how much she's grown since the last time I took her photo just a few weeks ago! The last pic is from when I first adopted Vanilla in mid-June.

It's Not New Year's...

...but, it is September 1st and I have a few resolutions. I figured I'd post them and then maybe some of you would hold me accountable and nag me every once in a while about them.

1) Post on the blog at least once every day, even if it's just a word. Really, some words are worth posting. Like, quagmire for instance. Btw, it means swamp.

2) Take at least one picture a day. When I wrote this I realized I needed to start today... hence the random picture of my brother's ceramic dragon that he painted. I might as well include the pic-a-day in my post-day.

3) Reestablish my daily run. I always get lazy after soccer season. I'm spoiled by getting to replace my run with soccer, then when soccer ends I don't want to run. I should start training for a marathon again. Well, I've got a long way to go from my meager 2.5 mile run tonight. But, just over a year ago I was running 18 mile runs, so I'm confident I can get there again. Though it will be difficult with my traveling work schedule. We'll see about the marathon right now (though it is on my long term list of things to do)... but, in the ever present now, the daily run is a must.

4) Institute a daily pilates workout. Even if it's just one of those 10 minute ones. Why you ask? Have you seen the crazy strength and balance these pilates people have?? Have you felt their rock hard bodies?? I think pilates is perfect for women who want to get toned without bulking up. I see no reason why I shouldn't be one of them. I'll be doing my pilates workout just after this post.

5) Study for the GRE at least 20 mins a day. I keep talking about how I want to go back to school for graduate studies. Well, I need to knock out the GRE to do that and it's time to stop yapping and start doing. So, I will be following up my pilates workout with GRE study time.

I have many more ambitions, such as shooting a documentary, learning an instrument, kayaking a river, climbing a mountain, learning at least 5 languages, learning to surf, etc... However, I think this is a start. Once the first three become part of the daily routine I can add three and the GRE is short-term, finished when I take it. So that can be replaced with a new goal once its done.

Well... feel free to nag!

Paul Harvey Writes...

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.
I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.
I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.
I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.
It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.
I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.
When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.
I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.
May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.


I hope I remember this yearning if I should ever be blessed with children.